Hurt
by DreamingwhileLucid
Summary: Kaoru and Hikaru experience a painful memory from their past.


"You sure?" Kaoru asked quietly, glancing out the school window, "We haven't played a trick on a girl like this since…"

"Since we were lower classmen. I know, I know. But come on Kaoru! Neither of us have any clue who she is and yet all of a sudden she wants to claim her love for you." Hikaru crossed his arms over his chest and moved to the middle of the room, leaving Kaoru staring at the spot where his brother had been sitting moments before.

"But you know how it'll end," Kaoru whispered, "She'll settle for Hikaru and it will end the same way. In hurt…for both parties."

"What was that, Kaoru?" Hikaru, who had been making sure the hallway was clear, asked.

"Nothing. Let's go. It's my turn to be up." Kaoru gave in to the tricks and only prayed that this girl was ready to take on the pain. But he couldn't help but re-read the last sentence of the note left on his desk:

_I know who you are now._

-----

_"Well, I was wondering…if maybe you would settle for me instead. I've always had a crush on you," Kaoru allowed himself a smirk as the girl blushed._

_"Well, I would be ok with that, Kaoru," the girl smiled up at him, the blush still definite in her cheeks._

_Kaoru cleared his throat and leaned back against the brick column. He turned his head and yelled, "Kaoru, she said you'd be ok too!" to the bushes._

_He watched the girl's mood of happiness change from happiness to pain, as Hikaru stepped out of the bushes. It was her fault for not having a heart._

_Hikaru spoke his customary speech to her and she ran off in tears. The twins watched her run off, the hope leaving their eyes. Maybe they had wanted her to succeed, but it was too late now. The two turned and walked the opposite direction, hand in hand, their faces blank, and their eyes dull._

-----

And here they were again. Kaoru was pretending to be Hikaru and Hikaru hid in the bushes, ready to jump out and impersonate his twin brother.

But Kaoru knew that there was something different about this girl. Why did he know this? Her first sentence was, "Do you remember me?"

Kaoru took a small surprised step back. Should Hikaru remember her? He most certainly didn't…but yet…he felt it. He knew this girl. But instead of voicing this he shook his head and took up his stance against the wall. "Should Hikaru remember you? That's who I am by the way. Kaoru couldn't make it."

"Oh," the girl's voice fell for a moment. She instantly perked back up and continued the conversation, "I'm not sure if you should. We were so young. It was that day when it snowed so hard. I came over and asked you if you want to play. I still remember your little challenge."

Kaoru emitted a sharp gasp. This was the first player of the 'Which One is Hikaru Game!' Her last words to them that day stung him sharply. She was telling them not to cry.

As he recalled now it had hurt them so badly when she hadn't been able to tell them apart. Tamaki's words also echoed in his head, asking the twins why they were so sad when someone guessed right.

Kaoru let his head drop into one hand. There it was again. He was comparing himself to the past; to how much he had changed. A single tear fell from his eyes.

"Please don't cry," the girl whispered. Kaoru's eyes grew wide as he looked up at the girl. He shook his head slightly and covered his eyes again.

"I'm so sorry. I have to go. I'll tell…tell-," he was already running down the hallway. Memories ran through his head of that little girl that day, and other girls running down this same stretch of hallway.

He finally reached the courtyard after five minutes or so from running. Kaoru dropped to his knees and slammed his fist into the grass. Why was everything so difficult?

"Kaoru! Kaoru!" a voice resounded from behind him. Kaoru turned, expecting to find that girl watching him with disgust; instead he found Hikaru running towards him, worry slathered upon his face. "Kaoru! What happened back there?" He knelt down next to his brother and placed a comforting arm on his back.

Kaoru was silent for a moment. Should he tell him? And finally the whole story erupted from him. He told her who that girl was, what she had said, and what he had been thinking. "I just couldn't take it, Hikaru." His eyes burned with tears of anger and sadness.

"What? What was so wrong? Please tell me Kaoru!" Hikaru's voice was pleading with him.

"It seems like our past has come back to haunt us. And I was right…" Kaoru stumbled over his words. He took a pause and opened his mouth once more, speaking clearly, "It all ends in hurt."


End file.
